1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for opening a disposable camera comprising a housing and for removing a film roll from it. Disposable cameras have a housing, usually made of plastic covered with cardboard, which as such has no provision for being opened. In order to remove the roll of film from the disposable camera the housing must either be broken or a part of the housing must be removed after the removal of the cardboard covering. So far this has been done manually with one or other tool, and is very time-consuming. This poses considerable problems, particularly in industrial processing laboratories where rolls of film must be removed From hundreds of disposable cameras every day.
The purpose of the invention is the provision of a device whereby the opening of the diposable camera and the removal of the film roll can take place in a very simple and fast fashion.
2. Summary of the Invention
According to the invention this object is achieved by the fact that the device comprises a cutting table with associated positioning means, a knife which can be moved with respect to the cutting table in order to cut away part of the housing and thus make an opening, means for moving this knife and a mechanism for gripping the film roll through the opening and withdrawing it from the housing.
The presence of positioning means makes it possible for various types of disposable cameras to be opened by one and the same device.
In a specific embodiment of the invention at least two positioning means are formed by counter knives which are mounted so that they are stationary with respect to the cutting table and work in conjunction with the movable knife during the cutting of the housing.
The cutting edge of the knife is by preference bevelled both in thickness and along its width so that it forms a point on the side against which the housing is positioned and the edge away from the corner of the positioned disposable camera.
An advantageous embodiment of the invention the mechanism which grips the film roll through the opening and removes it from the housing contains a magnet, means for moving this magnet and means for releasing the film roll from the magnet.